Four suspects escape from Negombo prison

Four suspects, held on remand, escaped in the early hours of yesterday by boring a hole in one of the walls of the Negombo Prison.

Prison sources said three of the suspects had been remanded on charges of robbery and the other was a 19-years-old murder suspect.

The escapees had drilled the wall in na area close to the visitors area of the young offenders ward, where they were held, sources said. After making the opening they had covered it with a bucket of garbage and later escaped by removing a wire mesh above the ward.

It was revealed that the foursome after escaping had fled in a boat anchored at the fisheries harbour in the Negombo lagoon.

Prison authorities, attributing the incident to the negligence of the prison officers, said two of their officers would be interdicted over the incident.